Free Republic

Les Emmerson, frontman of the Canadian rock group Five Man Electrical Band and writer of the hippie-era anthem “Signs,” died last Friday, Dec. 10, CTV News reports. He was 77. Emmerson’s wife, Monik Emmerson, confirmed his death, saying, “He had underlying health conditions that made him additionally vulnerable to Covid.” She added that Emmerson had been in-and-out of the hospital for other reasons over the past year. While he was vaccinated against Covid, Emmerson contracted the virus in November and died in the ICU at an Ottawa hospital.

The state's largest public employee union, Service Employees International Union California, will launch a "seven-figure" ad campaign Friday targeting GOP members who could vote for a budget deal. Coupled with ongoing protests and rallies organized by the California Teachers Association, the SEIU ad campaign marks an aggressive new approach by Democratic allies in the days leading up to Gov. Jerry Brown's budget revision Monday. The ads will air on broadcast and cable television stations in the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto market, as well as Fresno, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs. SEIU also plans to air radio ads. The media spots play heavily...

What's it worth to fly to Maui to join legislative colleagues and Capitol interests in a weeklong conference mixing business with tropical pleasure? Nearly $4,000, perhaps. That's what Sen. Bill Emmerson paid out of his own pocket for airfare, lodging and vehicle rental, receipts show. The nonprofit California Independent Voter Project said it bankrolled much of the trip for legislators, but Emmerson said he was an exception. The Redlands Republican insisted upon going on his own dime – in fact, about 40,000 of them.